RIPPED — Railings along the back patio of Jon Lee’s Irondale residence were ripped off by Wednesday morning’s tornado, and trees in the nearby valley were torn apart. -- Christopher Dacanay

Damage assessments and the clearing of debris are underway following a tornado event that tore up parts of Jefferson, Hancock and Beaver counties early Wednesday morning.

The National Weather Service announced on the social media platform X that the tornado had maximum sustained winds at around 130 mph, earning it an EF2 classification. Confirmed by radar, the tornado was the first recorded tornado in Hancock County and the ninth in Jefferson County.

In Northern Jefferson County, the tornado’s path of destruction was evidenced by fallen and dismembered trees, alongside varying levels of structural damage. Primarily affected were areas around Brush Creek Township, the village of Irondale and Saline Township, according to John Parker, director of the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency.

Multiple agencies were working to address the “widespread debris field” left by the tornado, including mangled trees blocking roadways and, in some places, remaining tangled with power lines, Parker said.

County roads 55 and 50 and state Route 213 were closed for debris removal by the Jefferson County Highway Maintenance Department, Saline Township roads department and the Ohio Department of Transportation. As of midday, state Route 213 and County Road 50 continued to be closed. County Road 55 was deemed passable, with caution urged for motorists.

DAMAGED — This home on Locust Hill Road in Hancock County is among those which sustained damage from Wednesday’s tornado, which took off the structure’s roof. -- Craig Howell

American Electric Power and Carroll Electric worked to clear power lines displaced by the storm and address leaning poles. Residents of Irondale were without power as maintenance continued.

Rob Herrington, director of Jefferson County 9-1-1, said that calls regarding the tornado began coming in at 1:26 a.m., coming from around county Road 55 approaching Irondale. Calls kept coming during an “hour-long flurry of activity,” shifting toward areas around state Route 213, going toward Route 7, Herrington said.

Emergency response began soon after the first calls, with a command post being established at the East Avenue and Creek Street intersection in Irondale around 2 p.m., according to Irondale Fire Department Assistant Chief Jason Smith.

Responding firefighters focused initially on clearing fallen trees from the roadway and opening access to callers, said Herrington, who also is co-director of the Jefferson County EMA. From there, responders could assess issues, checking for injuries or instances of entrapment. Despite some initial missing person calls, which were all resolved by 3 a.m., no injuries were reported that warranted medical attention.

With no medical emergencies, fire department response began to scale back, Herrington said. Responding were fire departments from Irondale, Stratton, Empire, Bergholz and Columbiana County. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and the Saline Township Police also assisted.

HIT — Several homes and other structures in the area of Locust Hill Road near New Manchester were among those affected by Wednesday morning’s storm. -- Craig Howell

Edison Local School District ran on a two-hour delay, primarily due to transportation issues resulting from the storm, Herrington said.

The Irondale village building was set up to provide food and emergency shelter for affected individuals.

On scene to assist with affected individuals’ immediate and long-term needs and to perform damage assessment were representatives from the American Red Cross and Ohio Emergency Management Agency.

A meeting will be held at the Saline Township Complex at 164 County Road 50 A, Hammondsville, so affected individuals can fill out damage assessment forms to receive individual assistance, said Parker, who will be present at the meeting along with state EMA and other local officials.

Jefferson County Commissioner Eric Timmons, who visited the scene, said it might be possible to use the county’s emergency funds for relief, and that those in need should contact the commissioners’ office if interested. He noted also that some businesses have reached out to offer water, clothing and supplies if necessary.

DAMAGES — A crumbled garage sits along Highland Avenue in Irondale, following Wednesday morning’s tornado. -- Christopher Dacanay

Herrington said the National Weather Service would assessing the tornado’s path, looking to determine factors such as wind speed. Assessment will be aided by drone footage from the EMA.

Meanwhile, Hancock County Director of Emergency Management Jeremy Ober explained the primary area of damage in West Virginia was along Locust Hill Road, as well as Orchard Road and Smith Road in the community of Fairhaven, located just north of New Manchester along state Route 8.

Utility companies “showed up in force” to restore roads around Locust Hill closed for maintenance, Ober said. Some roads have been closed to one lane where power poles are being replaced or restrung.

Ober said clean-up and assessments are ongoing and will continue Thursday to obtain an accurate account of how many homes and businesses were affected. The American Red Cross was on scene, and the West Virginia EMA and West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster both offered their assistance.

Chester Mayor Ed Wedgewood reported he and other city officials spent their day surveying damage in the area, which included downed power lines and trees, as well as damaged structures.

DESTRUCTION — The CA Joseph warehouse on Broadway Street had some of its siding shredded and support beams bent by Wednesday morning’s tornado event. -- Christopher Dacanay

As for aiding those affected Wednesday, Ober said, “There are not a whole lot of unmet needs, but that could change. You don’t know what tomorrow’s going to look like once people have a clearer mind. They’re all dealing with a pretty traumatic event.”

Hancock County 911 indicated one person was injured as a result of the storm.

Hancock County Schools were closed Wednesday.

As of Wednesday afternoon, First Energy reported several hundred homes were still without power as a result of the storm damage. The majority of those reports were in the Fairhaven area, with some also located in Newell.

Northern Jefferson County residents themselves may have escaped unscathed, but damage to their property, in some areas, was extensive. Residents spoke of removed siding, lost garages and damaged barns.

FLATTENED — A shed along county Road 55 in Saline Township was flattened by Wednesday morning’s tornado event. -- Christopher Dacanay

One of the first emergency calls received was from the owner of a trailer on county Road 55, which was carried about 30 yards by the tornado, according to Irondale Fire Department Chief Dan Householder. The owner escaped uninjured, Householder said, adding, “How? We don’t know.”

Garrett Trenary and Melissa Miller’s trailer along Griffith Street recalled how the whole residence “shook violently” for about 15 seconds, according to Trenary. “Insane” pressure from the wind shot the trailer’s air conditioning unit flying inward for about 5 feet, missing Miller, who was walking several feet away.

Trenary said the trailer is likely a loss, with a tree from across Griffith Street being uprooted, falling onto the trailer and caving in part of its roof and floor. Entangled with power lines, the tree lies across Griffith Street, effectively blocking traffic to the rest of the road.

Trenary said he has been in contact with the American Red Cross about possible relief options.

“At this point, we’re going to have to find something else,” Trenary said, adding later: “I’m very happy that it’s just the house.”

Railings on the back patio of Jon Lee’s East Avenue residence were ripped off by the tornado, which appears to have passed into the valley behind his home and torn apart the trees.

The home was left covered in tree limbs, which others contributed to clearing away, said Lee’s girlfriend, Regina Simms, whose bird feeders and their trees had been torn down. Although more work was needed for the garage roof, Simms thanked all those who helped clean up, including her son-in-law, Cody Lawrence; her daughter, Vanessa Lawrence; Eric Gooding and his wife, Stacey Gooding, and Irondale Mayor Tim Seacrest and his daughter, Paige Seacrest.

Irondale has been “a little hectic lately,” said Paige Seacrest, who said she has been helping others clear away debris from their homes since 2:30 a.m.

Surrounded by debris, the CA Joseph warehouse on Broadway Street had some of its siding shredded and support beams bent. Nearby, Irondale Park’s storage house was flattened.

Mary Ann Hoobler said that she and her husband, Charles, were some of “the fortunate ones,” with their Rural Way residence being hit with little more than harsh rain and some scattered leaves. However, she noted that her next-door neighbor reported hearing what sounded like a train outside as the tornado passed by. Charles Hoobler and his son, Luke Hoobler, assisted with debris clean-up.

(Staff writer Stephanie Ujhelyi contributed to this report.)

HARD HIT — A variety of buildings, including Maple’s Garage on Smith Road in Hancock County, were damaged during Wednesday’s storm. -- Craig Howell